


A Chance Meeting

by TheClassics4



Series: spinner!Rum x Belle [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-13
Updated: 2013-01-13
Packaged: 2017-11-25 09:51:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/637640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheClassics4/pseuds/TheClassics4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on his way to get medicine for his son, Rumpelstiltskin stumbles upon a woman running from her attackers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Chance Meeting

Rumpelstiltskin had never liked being out after dark. It had unnerved him since he was a child. Terrified him. There was too much unknown hiding in darkness. Blackness concealed monsters, pirates…soldiers.

But right now, he had no choice but to leave the safety of his home. Bae was ill and desperately needed medicine. Medicine that could only be purchased by trekking through the forest.

“Bae,” Rumpelstiltskin knelt down by the bed, feeling his son’s forehead. In the two minutes it took to tie his cloak, Baelfire’s temperature seemed to have risen even more. He was trembling and sweating and his eyes didn’t open when Rumpelstiltskin spoke. “Son, I’ll be back soon.”

Straightening and taking the lantern from the floor, he eventually mustered enough courage to leave the safety of his home.

There were only a few coppers he’d found for this trip. There weren’t even enough of them in his pocket to jingle against each other as he walked. Rumpelstiltskin just prayed to the gods the healers would take pity for a sick child.

He would have thought the longer he was out, the more he would get used to being in the dark. He was wrong. The silence surrounding him was suffocating. Forests were supposed to have sounds. They did have sound during the day. Now, the only sounds were his limping footsteps and his faltering breaths.

But he froze when an ear-splitting scream ripped the silence surrounding him. He squinted out into the darkness beyond his lantern and could see nothing. There was no source of the scream.

The scream came again. Closer this time.

It was followed by new sounds. Angry, thundering voices, drowning out another scream. The scream was coming from a woman. She was begging for help, but Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t move.

“I—I—” he tried to call out to her, but even his voice was paralyzed.

Slowly, a figure emerged from the trees. She was stumbling over her own feet and when she got close enough, he could see her dress was torn completely open, revealing a bloodied chest and legs.

“Please,” she sobbed, “Please help me.” The woman rammed into him, her weight almost knocking him over.

He held her tightly with one arm and frantically looked about into the darkness. The voices were still thundering down on him. Even in her state, she had more sense than he did. With a shaking hand, she managed to unlatch the lantern and blow out the small flame.

“Sh, sh,” he soothed as he took a few steps back. They needed to get as far from here as they could. If she had seen his light, the men in pursuit of her surely had as well.

He was conflicted. This girl needed a doctor, but so did his son. Maybe if he arrived with her, they would be more generous with medicine.

“Is this where you saw it?” The voice was too loud and reverberated through his head.

“Yes, m’lord,” the second voice was more timid, yet it still gripped at Rumpelstiltskin’s heart.

What had these men done to her? What would they do to him? They wanted her and he was trying to help her escape. Bae would be left alone and without medicine would die within the week.

“Shh,” he hushed a little more urgently. Reason told him they were far enough not to be seen, but he still imagined every possible scenario where they found them and Bae was left alone to die.

The woman buried her face into his arm and clutched him, tighter than he would have thought her capable. Her teeth bit into his arm and he had to stifle a small whimper of his own.

“Alright, split up and meet up by the river,” the first voice made him wince again. She tensed against him and her weight finally became too much. He collapsed onto the soft ground with her landing in his lap.

Her ear was pressed right against his chest where his heart was pounding and she seemed so calm compared to how he felt. She was barely breathing. She seemed to have stopped crying. The only indication was her impossible hold around his waist.

All they had to do was stay still and stay silent. These men were searching without light and the forest was big. It would be only minutes before they would be able to move.

The woman slumped against him, finally letting out a breath. He stroked her hair and knew for the first time just exactly what had happened. It was where her legs rested over his. The material of his breeches was damp and he swallowed as he realized the bleeding was coming from between her legs.

He waited for a few more minutes than he needed before finally patting her shoulder.

“Okay,” he whispered as he eased her off his lap. “Can you stand?”

“I think so,” she breathed out.

The walking stick helped him stand and once he was on his feet, he helped her. They didn’t light his lantern again and when they started walking, she held his arm with hers and with the other, she held her dress closed.

“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice still shaking.

“Rumpelstiltskin.”

“Th—thank you for helping me.”

“Sh,” he said, looking over his shoulder. There weren’t any voices, but it was dark. And darkness concealed.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. The edge of town brought little comfort. It was still as dark as it was in the trees and just as ominous.

The healer lived on the outskirts of town, making their way quick to the door. There was cursing behind the door when they pounded, but when the old woman opened the door, she ushered them in without complaint.

“Come, child, come sit.” 

The woman obeyed the healer and sat on a wood chair.

“Rumpelstiltskin, wait outside.”

He waited beside the door for hours. The sun was rising over the tree tops, quelling his most pressing fear. When the door finally opened, he was leaning against the wall.

The woman had on a new dress, her hair and skin was washed clean of any blood.

“She’s in your care now,” the healer said. The old crone had never been overly compassionate, but at least she didn’t ask the woman for money.

“I—” He stopped the woman from closing the door. The healer gave him an angry look and he hesitated, “My boy. He’s fallen ill.”

“Do you have the money?”

Rumpelstiltskin rummaged in his pockets and produced the three copper coins. The healer eyed them suspiciously.

“Please, it’s not for me this time. It’s for Bae.”

She gave a small huff before turning back inside. The woman next to him watched after her, slowly snaking an arm through his. Inside, the healer was rummaging and in a few minutes, he emerged with a small tin. She seized the money silently and slammed the door again.

Around them, the town was starting to come to life. Rumpelstiltskin let go of the woman next to him to undo his cloak. When he draped it around her shoulders, it covered her entirely, drowning her tiny frame. With the hood up, she wouldn’t be able to be seen by anyone.

Rumpelstiltskin hurried her along the path. He asked her her name and she told him it was Belle. She was from the north and that was all she would tell him. She was covered in bruises. Bruises that were too old to have been caused that night. He didn’t need her word to tell him she had been beaten badly for long before they’d come together. 

The further into the forest, the more anxious she became. Rumelstiltskin was on edge too. The men were still somewhere around and it wasn’t until they were safely coming to his home. He left her at the door, rushing to his son’s bedside.

He was asleep and the sheets were soaked. The tin was filled with an herbal lotion and when he rubbed it on Bae’s chest, the effect was immediate. His sleep quieted and he went to work on changing the sheets.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Belle standing at the fire. His cloak was still wrapped around her and she gazed at the flames with glazed eyes. When Rumpelstiltskin was sure his son was settled, he went over to her.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you,” she nodded.

“Do you want something to eat? Or drink?”

“No. I’m alright.”

“Do you—” he hesitated before putting a hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t flinch away. “Do you have family you could call for?”

“I—I’m sorry. I can go.”

He stopped her when she started to untie his cloak and led her to their table. “No, I was just—you’re alone?”

“My father was killed by the ogres. I was left with my fiancé.”

“And where is he?”

“Still in the forest I would guess.” She played with the frayed hem of his cloak and shook her head.

“Your fiancé did this to you?”

“I tried to escape,” she whispered without looking up.

Bae stirred behind them. He was still asleep and when Rumpelsiltskin turned back to Belle, he saw her gazing sadly at the boy.

“Will he come looking for you again?”

“No.” She sounded very certain, but it didn’t quiet Rumpelstiltskin’s fears.

“Still, we should—”

“He won’t come. There is a meeting he’s needed at tonight across the country. He won’t stay.”

“Alright,” he conceded, deciding to trust her. “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

“…I am a bit hungry.”

“I guessed as much,” he nodded and with another glance at his son, he began to set a pot to boil on the fire. Belle was silent as Rumpelstiltskin cooked. When Bae coughed, she stood and hurried to his side before Rumpelstiltskin could put down his knife. He watched as Belle rubbed his boy’s chest and smeared more lotion under his nose.

When she ate, she ate like royalty and Rumpelstiltskin paid special attention to his manners. When she’d finished, he showed her to his bed. He knew he wouldn’t sleep much that night with Bae so restless and he insisted she sleep.

She didn’t sleep through the night. He would have been surprised if she did. The next night she refused to even lie down. She insisted that Rumpelstiltskin sleep and she promised to wake him if Bae showed any change.

The weeks went by and they settled into the routine. Rumpelstiltskin watched over the boy during the day, spinning from the corner of the room and Belle sat over him at night. Belle slept less and less. Even when she tried to sleep in the daylight hours, her dreams plagued her. Soon, she decided to spend her time cleaning and learning to cook.

He assured her she needn’t do it, but she insisted. She talked to him as she cleaned. She spoke of her childhood with her nurse, her days spent wandering the woods. They were wonderful stories and his days were no longer spent in silent spinning.

Time blended together with Belle staying with them. Days turned into weeks and soon the weeks were starting to fade away as well. Bae recovered quickly from what ailed him and was soon bouncing around as his normal self. It seemed to amuse Belle.

At least for a time.

He didn’t know what changed. She was starting to get better. Even if she didn’t sleep much, she had been starting to eat more, to talk more, to live more.

But it all stopped one day.

When he awoke, Belle was sitting in the rocking chair. He’d gotten used to waking up to breakfast, but Belle appeared not to be in the spirits. So without comment, he made himself tea and set to work on his next batch of wool.

Bae sensed it too. After lingering for only a few moments, he fled from the cottage to meet Morraine. Rumpeltiltskin spun for hours and Belle didn’t move from her place. When he glanced at her, it didn’t even look like she had blinked.

Eventually, his wool was spun. For a moment, he sat at the wheel, eyeing Belle. Everyone was entitled to a bad day, he supposed. But it worried him.

“Uh, Belle,” he stood from the stool and Belle still gazed at the ground. “I need to go find Bae. I’ll, uh, I’ll make dinner when I return.”

Though he knew she wouldn’t respond, he waited a few seconds.

There were usually only a few places he went and when he wasn’t at the nearest play places, Rumpelstiltskin tried not to let thoughts of danger worry him. Bae was a smart boy. He wouldn’t get into any serious trouble.

Still Rumpelstiltskin worried. He couldn’t seem not to.

The only other place Rumpelstiltskin could think of was at the edge of the forest. The first few lines of the trees had been cut down during the war and the enormous stumps were a favorite spot for the village children.

There he was.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed with relief as he limped forward. “Bae!” He had to call out twice before Bae noticed his father, “Time to come home son.”

After Bae bid his companions farewell, he trudged to meet his father.

“Is Belle feeling better?”

“I…I think tomorrow will be better.”

“Good. Maybe I could help with dinner tonight.”

“That would be nice, son.”

“And maybe I could get some flowers for her. She would like that, right papa?”

Rumpelstiltskin smiled, squeezing his son’s shoulder. “Yes, I think she would like that.”

Along the path, Bae stooped periodically to pick wildflowers. He chose carefully before plucking one and each time they stopped, Rumpelstiltskin had to urge him onward. By the time they returned home, Bae had a lovely, colorful bouquet ready.

He ran ahead of Rumpelstiltskin, throwing open the door and calling for Belle.

“Belle?” he called again.

There was something in his son’s voice that chilled him. Before he could reach the door, Bae was screaming for him. Rumpelstiltskin rushed down the pathway, stumbling his way into the cottage to see his son kneeling on the floor. The flowers were scattered around him, sticking to the floor in a dark red liquid.

Rumpelstiltskin fell at his son’s side, finding Belle lying on her side. A sharp blade was in her hands and a deep, ragged wound ripped through her lower stomach. Her eyes were half closed, but she was still breathing.

“Papa,” Bae was holding her hand, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Run to town Bae and get the healer. Now!” he added sharply when he didn’t move.

Bae scrambled to his feet, slipping in Belle’s blood in his haste. The closest material he could find was the sheet from his bed. When he pressed it to Belle’s stomach, she whimpered.

“Belle, what did you do?”

“Is it out?” she sobbed trying to pry his hands away, but she was too weak to even wrap her fingers around him.

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t want it. I didn’t…”

There was so much blood. It was everywhere. Where he knelt, it was seeping into his pants and his hands were coated in it. There couldn’t have been much left within her body, yet it still pulsed into the sheet.

“I—Rumple, thank you for—”

“Sh,” he pressed on the wound again and she winced.

“You—you’re a good man. Good father. I’m glad to know there’s such thing,” her words slurred together. “Never met such good father. To Bae.”

“Sh, don’t speak.”

Again, she tried to clutch at his hand as she started sobbing. He took it and pressed a soft kiss to it, her blood smearing onto his lips.

“You’re not like him,” she said looking up at the ceiling. “Gentle man.”

His own tears had started to come and he turned, hoping to see his son coming at the house with the healer. The doorway was empty.

“Belle,” he turned back to her and his heart dropped.

Her eyes were open, but they didn’t see. Her mouth was open, but it didn’t breathe. Rumpelstiltskin clutched her lifeless hand to his lips and didn’t move until he heard his son’s frantic voice coming down the road. Reluctantly, he released her and met his son at the door, pulling him back outside.

Bae let his father lead him a few feet away from the door and threw his arms around him while they waited. His face pressed into Rumpelstiltskin’s chest as he wept.

The healer wasn’t long with Belle. When she emerged, there was no trace of blood on her.

“Child, let me speak with your father,” she said and waved the boy away.

Rumpelstiltskin watched Bae as he stood just outside the door, deliberately not looking inside.

“What happened?”

“She… was with child,” the old woman said gravely. “It appears she was trying to cut it from her womb. It wouldn’t have killed her had…” She stopped and interlaced her fingers together.

“Had I been here.”

“It is no one’s fault,” She patted his shoulder and slowly made her way back up the path.

Rumpelstiltskin started walking toward the house and Bae rushed to him and they entered together. The healer appeared to have tried to clean a bit. Belle was covered with a fresh sheet and though the flower still littered the floor, the worst of the blood had been cleaned. He watched as Bae knelt next to Belle and started to gather the soiled flowers.

“I thought…” Bae started as he held the flowers. Rumpelstiltskin knelt next to him, resting his hand on his shoulder. “I thought she was going to be my mama.”

Sighing, Rumpelstiltskin took the flowers from him and rested them on Belle’s cloaked chest. “She would have been a great one.”


End file.
